Facing Ella
by bittersweet88
Summary: This is my shot on how I think the storyline between Ella and Ezra  and Aria  should continue after 1x12.  It was supposed to be a one-shot but I decided to already upload the beginning, it won't get longer than 2 or 3 chapters though.
1. Chapter 1

„I know why you're here", she said, looking at me without any facial expression. I should have known they would be here and I silently cursed myself for not thinking this through. But when she called me crying, I didn't think about her parents. Actually I didn't think much at all. I just jumped in my car and drove right to the station. To be there for her.

„You need to understand, that I...", I began without really knowing what I was going to tell her, but she cut me off anyway.

„Stop! This is a very small town. People see things. And they talk", she paused for a moment then continued, „I always thought you were an outstanding teacher", giving me one of this looks that showed so less and meant so much. I could imagine all the disappointment and all the anger she felt right now.

„I'm in love with her", I blurted out. It wasn't the time or place to confess my feelings for Aria, but what else was there to say?

She took a deep breath, „I'm gonna give you one chance to walk away from this. Not because you deserve it, but because this is the last thing we need to deal with right now. And when you go, you need to keep going. Because when Spencer's parents find out about this, they will ruin you!"

Why would Spencer's parents be mad, if they found out I was dating Aria? Then it hit me. While part of Ella's assumption was right, she was still on the wrong track. I didn't know why there would be any rumors about me dating Spencer Hasting, but obviously that was what Ella was suggesting.

She was still looking at me, waiting for my reaction. I shook my head, "I can't."

She was staring at me in disbelief. But I couldn't go. I didn't care about my career, I didn't care about my reputation, I didn't even care about my freedom. All I cared about right now was that Aria needed me. I had let her down so many times and it took me a while to realize what I had in her. But now I wanted to be in this relationship one hundred per cent and leaving her alone at the police station, when she wanted me to be there wasn't an option.

"She called me." I explained, "She had one call and she called ME. I just can't."

Ella didn't seem to realize I wasn't talking about Spencer and I knew I had to clear up that rumor at some point, but everything already seemed so complicated, I felt like I needed some time to prepare myself for the storm that was about to go down on me.

She was still looking at me, but I couldn't read her face. Then she slowly turned away and went back to the others.

* * *

><p>We sat there for what felt like a lifetime. I had long lost track of time.<p>

When I arrived at the waiting room the other parent's had looked at me confused and Ella told them I was there because I might have witnessed something and needed to testify at some point. I was thankful that she gave me an excuse, but I didn't dare to smile at her because I was afraid of seeing the hurt in her eyes again. It didn't seem like a very plausible excuse, but none of the other ones questioned it. I guess they were too worried about their daughters to ponder over my presence.

Emily's parents had arrived at one o'clock in the morning and filled in on the very few details we already knew. Mrs. Hastings had been in there for a while and when she came back she didn't have a lot of news for us, but what we heard sounded serious. The girls were accused of murder and apparently there was some weapon to prove it. Emily's mother looked like she was about to cry, while the other couples were whispering nervously at each other. At some point Byron got up and got coffee for everyone, he even handed me one, which made me believe, that Ella didn't tell her husband about the rumor she heard.

It was already dawning, when Mr. Hasting got up and talked to one of the officer's angrily. He came back moments later sitting down again, but still furious.

"It is five o'clock in the morning!" he shouted angrily, "Spencer called us at half past ten! That means we're sitting here for more than six hours and nobody tells us anything. I can't believe this!"

The others nodded in agreement. Then Ella frowned, "Wait, she called you?"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here is the second part of my story and like I threatened already the last one.**  
><em>

_Ella frowned, "Wait, she called you?"_

"Of course she did", Mr. Hastings said surprised, "Didn't Aria?"

"No, actually the police called us…" Byron answered without noticing the impact the last few seconds made on his wife.

Mr. Hastings started ranting again and the others chimed in. I watched Ella turning her head slowly towards me, her eyes filled with knowledge. I knew it was too late, the secret was out and I couldn't do anything about it so I gave her an awkward smile and shrugged helplessly. She sat there motionless just looking at me, her racing thoughts so explicitly visible on her face it was almost painful to watch. Then she took a deep breath and got up.

"Ezra, may I talk to you outside?" she asked and started to walk towards the exit for this was clearly no question but an order.

* * *

><p>When I walked through the doors I was taken aback by the brightness of the dawning day. We had in fact spent a whole night at the station. Ella was hastily walking up and down on the pavement in front of the building. When she heard the sound of the closing door behind me she came to a stop and turned to me.<p>

"This isn't happening! How could I've been so wrong? There were all these rumors about you dating a student and I never bought into it although I assumed that she had a little crush on you. And then I see Spencer in your car and think it's her, while it has been my daughter the whole time. And I didn't even get suspicious! What kind of a mother am I?" she started to walk up and down again.

"Ella…" I tried to interrupt her, but she kept on talking, "It all makes so much sense now. How could I've been so blind? And all those sleepover at the other girls'… I don't even wanna know! How could you do that?" she faced me again, "How could you possibly do that to her?"

"If you just let me explain…" I begged but she cut me off again, "I don't think there's anything you need to explain, Ezra, if it doesn't involve all of this being a joke or a misunderstanding."

"No", I tried to hold her gaze but failed immensely and went for the concreted floor instead, "No, it isn't."

"Then I don't know why I should listen to you." She walked towards the stairs in front of the doors again, "You're gonna regret this, Ezra."

But I wasn't willing to let her leave me here, this was not going to be the end of it. Not today and not this way.

"Ella, please!"

I'm not sure if it was the desperation in my voice that made her hesitate and turn around again, but I quickly went on, "I know how this looks like and I understand that you don't want to listen to me, but please just give me this one chance! You're stuck here without anything else to do anyway, so please just give me five minutes… I would be forever thankful if you just let me try to tell the whole story."

She was standing on the stairs not saying anything for what felt like ages. Then she sighed, "Five minutes and that's it", she stated and sat down on the stairs.

Slightly panicking I sat down beside her.

"We met one day before school started at a bar."

Ella frowned at the mentioning of the bar, but didn't say anything.

"We were the only two customers and I chatted her up. I thought she was a student at Hollis… She didn't lie to me, it was some sort of miscommunication, but I didn't realize she was still going to high school. She was smart and funny and seemed so wise I would have never guessed she was only 16… Anyway, we immediately fell for each other without knowing who the other one really was.  
>The next day I walk into my class and introduce myself and there she sits in the fourth row."<p>

There was still no reaction from Ella, so I continued, "I felt terrible and I guess so did she and we broke up on the spot. We knew it wasn't right. We tried to stay away from each other. Aria wanted to transfer out of my class, I even left town for a while, but we always ended up together again. You know, we both were madly in love with each other, the whole world around as became blurry and didn't matter anymore. It was just the two of us. That's why I decided to quit my job and start teaching at Hollis. I wanted us to have a chance to not be as doomed as we were from the very beginning. That maybe someday we could tell people and they wouldn't freak out over us. Which obviously didn't work out so well." Despite the seriousness of the situation I had to chuckle a little. The whole story was so absurd, it sounded more like a Greek tragedy than my life.

Then Ella spoke for the first time. "Was that the reason she had such great English grades?"

"No!", I said intensely, "She is a brilliant student! Her essays are amazing… If anything her grades got worse because I tried so desperately to not let my feelings influence my grading. You have to believe me, that wasn't the reason why we were together. I never forced her and she never asked to have any privileges. School was just a complication, it never had any relevance in our relationship!"

"And you transferred to Hollis for her?"

"Yes, I did." I confirmed, "I saw this glimpse of hope that there might be a future for us, that somehow despite the age difference, despite the fact that I had been her teacher we might make it work. I know that's naïve, but Aria… she is the most important thing in my life. I couldn't just let her go. We had to at least try!"

I felt tears filling up my eyes and feared that I would start to cry in front of her like baby. I swallowed, trying hard to keep it together. Ella was massaging her temples and we both didn't speak for a while. My five minutes had to be over by know and I reckoned us still sitting here as a good sign.

"That's crazy." she eventually responded, "Yesterday I had a son who broke into several houses and refuses to talk to. Now, in addition, I have a daughter, who is charged with murder and has an inappropriate relationship with her ex-teacher. This is all too much for one day!"

"I'm sorry, we never wanted you to find out this way. We were planning on telling… but not like this!"

Ella was still shaking her head unbelievingly. Then she got up.

"I should get back in, see if they finally have any news." She started to walk up the stairs again.

"Ella?", I shouted, making her stop again, "What are you going to do about this?"

"I don't know, Ezra. I really don't know." She looked at me and I could see the misery in her eyes, but I also noticed something that hadn't been there before. She looked at me with a spark of sympathy.

"Are you coming?", she asked as she held the door open for me.

**So, that's it.  
>I hope you're not too disappointed that there was no cheesy happy-end with Aria, but I just wanted to write my take on the storyline between Ella and Ezra. I know it's a pretty open ending, but I wanted to keep it realistic and at the same time give us a glimpse of hope that Ella (and the other ones) might grow to the idea of Aria and Ezra being together.<br>**


End file.
